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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. W. SHIPMAN. FOLDING BBD.

No. 496,172. Patented Apr. 25, 1893.

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FOLDING BED.

No. 496,172. Patented Apr. 25, 1893.

fNo Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. G. W. SHIPMAN.

' FOLDING BED.

10.496,172. Patented Apr. 25, 1893.

"(No Model.)

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G. W. SHI'PMA'N.

FOLDING BB1).

No. 496.172. PatentedApr. 125, 189e.`

M M W f7 46 f7 1 I' '45 we g H W f7 .'97 f L7 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

GEORGE W. SIIIPMAN, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

FOLDING BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,172, dated April25, 1893.

Applicationfiled June 20,1892. Serial No. 437,296. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. SHIPMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Folding Beds, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My present invention relates first, to a pair of levers, preferablypivoted in the bed-frame, controlled by' a counterbalance springconnected with them near their pivots and having connection at theirfree ends with the base-frame and the inner end of the bedfralne, theWhole serving to extend the range of movement of the counterbalanceconnections, Without requiring excessive range of spring action; second,to an automatically projecting extension suitably guided in thebase-frame and operated through the medium of suitable connections withthe bedframe to be projected or withdrawn as the bed is lowered orraised, so that the base changes with the center of gravity andovercomes the` tendency of the cabinet or baseframe to tip; third, to anautomatic spring bolt which locks the bed-frame relatively to thebase-frame when the bed-frame arrives at either limit of its movement,but which is brought within convenient reach for unlocking at the pointwhere the bed is grasped for lowering by a rock shaft or rod whichengages the locking bolt at one end and has a pressure plate at theother by which it is controlled; and fourth, to a net-work which may besecured over the bedding, when the bed is to be raised, in order to keepthe bedding from becoming displaced while in a vertical position butwhich may be folded back out of the way when the bed is lowered for use.

My improvement consists in novel features of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

The several parts of my invention will be readily understood uponreference to the accompanying drawings forming part of thisspecification, and in which Figure 1 is a plan of the bed lowered tohorizontal position, the base-frames being shown lin section and thebed-bottom removed. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal sectionthrough the base-frame and the bed, the bed-bottom being in place. Fig.3 is a plan of the bed-frame showing a modification in the springs andlevers of the counterbalance connections. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectionthrough the complete bed, the section being taken in a plane just behindthe bed frame when in its vertical position and showing a furthermodification in the counterbalance connections. Fig. 5 is a perspectiveview of the bed in vertical position, the usual ornamental facing at thebottom of the bed-frame being removed. In this view the counterbalanceconnections and the automatic slide correspond to those shown in Fig. 1.The locking device is also shown in this View. Fig. 6 is a detail Viewshowing the locking device applied to the side board of the bed-frame.Fig. 7 is a plan of the bed-frame,having applied thereto the net-workand frame for holding the bedding in place. Fig. 8 is a verticaltransverse section showing the manner of mounting the sliding stretchingrods of the net-work in the head and foot boards of the bed-frame. Thefoot board alone is shown but it will be understood that the ends of therods are secured in the head-board in the same way.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, 1 represents the base-frame, 2 thebed-frame and 3 the horizontal axis upon which the bed-frame turns inthe base-frame. VIn the bed-frame are mounted a pair of counterbalancelevers Ll pivoted at 5 near to the head of-the frame and havingcounterbalance springs 6 connected to them near their pivots. Theselevers have connected'to` their outer ends 7 counterbalance cords 8which pass over front pulleys 9 attached atadjacent points in thebed-frame thence over intermediate pulleys l0 j ournaled on thehorizontal axis 3 thence over lower pulleys 11 fixed to the base-frameand thence back to the rear end of the bed-frame. making this connectionat the rear end of the bed-frame, the relative movement of which part toand from the lower pulley 11 occurs with the raising and lowering of thebed, is preferably made by passing the cord over rear guide pulleys 12and head guide pulleys 13. In practice a single cord is used whichpasses between the pulleys 13 thence under pulleys 12 thence underpulleys 11, thence over pulleys 10, and thence around pulleys 9 and hasits outer ends attached with the outer ends of the levers 4 at 7. Byhaving the cord IOO thus arranged it will be seen that the force of thespring in lifting or opposing the lowering the bed-frame is alwaysevenly divided on both sides.

In Fig. 1 the spring 6 is a simple spiral Spring having its endsattached to the inner ends of the respective levers in such a manner asto tend to draw them together, and the cords 8 pass from the outer ends7 of the levers around the pulleys 9 on the same side of the bed-frameas the levers, so that when the bed-frame is lowered, thecounterbalancing eifect is produced by the movement of the head pulleys13 away from the lower pulleys 11 and the consequent spreading of thelevers 4 in opposition to spring 6. In Figs. 3 and 4 springs are shownfor the purpose of spreading the levers apart, and the cords 8, insteadof passing from ends 7 around adjacent pulleys 9, asin Fig. 1, are ledaround opposite pulleys 9 and thence over pulleys 10, under pulleys 11,and 12 and over pulleys 13 so that v the lowering of the bed and drawingof the cords,

brings the levers together in opposition to their spreading springs andthe lowering of the bed thereby opposed sufficiently to coun terbalanceits weight. In Fig. 3 the counterbalance springs are made in the shapeof composite leaf springs for strength each having one end secured at 14to the rear of the bed frame fulcrumed at 15 and having their other endssecured at 16 to links 17 which are in turn pivoted at 18 to thecounterbalance levers. In Fig. 4, a single leaf spring 6 is used whichextends across the rear end of the bedframe. This spring is fnlcrumed at19 in a bearing-head 2O in which the counter-balance levers are alsopivoted and the ends of said spring 21 are attached by means of cords 22which pass around pulleys 23 to the spreading lovers at points y13. Thisform also tends to spread the levers in opposition to the counterbalancecords which draw them together when the bed is lowered. In all theseforms of counterbalanoe springs and in both arrangements of the levers,the object is to secure a great range of motion in the counterbalanceconnections with a much shorterrange of motion in the counterbalancespring. This, it will be seen, is effectively accomplished in each oneof the forms described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4.

In order to provide for maintaining the equilibrium of the device uponits base, while the bed-frame is being pulled down, means may beemployed for extending the base in the proper direction simultaneouslywith the change of the center of gravity and while the bed-frame isbeing pulled out in approximately a horizontal direction. For thispurpose I have shown an automatically sliding extension 24 mounted inguides 25 in the baseframe and having its inner end 26 connected throughcords 27, 28 with the rear end of the bed-frame, which cords pass overpulleys 29 and 30. These cords are for convenience attached to thebed-frame at 31 and V32. The location of the pulleys 29 and 30 is suchthat the rear end of the bed-frame swings away from the pulley 29 whenthe bed is lowered and away from the pulley 30when the bed is raised.The pulley 29 is located at the outer end of the guide 25 and pulley 30at the inner end of said guide. The slide 24 is therefore made toproject when the bed is lowered and to be withdrawn when the bed israised. When the bed-frame is in its lowered position and it is desiredto retract the extension the rear end of the bed-frame as the latter isfolded strikes the cord 28 and pulling on it causes the extension to beretracted. The slide is provided with rollers 33 which run upon thefloor.

In order to lock the bed relatively to the base-frame at either limit ofits movement, an automatic locking-bolt 35 is provided which bolt entersholes 36 in the bed-frame and baseframe and is forced therointo by meansof a spring 37. In order to retract the bolt sufliciently to permit thebed to move relatively to `the base-frame, I provide a rock-shaft 38mounted in bearings 39 and having an angular extension 40 which engagesbeneath the spring 37. This rock-shaft extends along the side of the beda suiicient distance to presentan eccentricpressure-plate 41 withinconvenient reach of the hand when the bed is to be raised or lowered.This pressure-plate causes the shaft to rock, the eccentric arm 40 to bethrown out and the locking bolt 35 to be withdrawn from at leastoneofthe parts which it enters. The pressure-plate 41 may be made toproject out slightly beyond any ornamental facing or covering which maybe utilized for the bedbottom so as to be within convenient reach andpresent a neat appearance.

The frame and net-work for holding the bedding in place will beunderstood upon reference to Figs. ,7 and 8. The head-board 42 andfoot-board 43 of the bed-frame are each provided with horizontal grooves44 terminating at opposite ends in vertical grooves 45. The shape of thegroove is shown in Fig. 8 and is the same in both head-board andfoot-board. A ,part of the foot board is slightly broken away in Fig. 7to disclose the depth of the groove while said groove is shown in thehead-board in said figure by dotted lines. 46 represents longitudinalrods whose ends enter the respective grooves and the rods are providedwithlacing hooks 47 around which is laced a cord 48 for the purpose ofdrawing the rods 46 toward each other over the bedding. The rods arelimited in their movement by net-work 49 which is connected to said rodsand to the side boards of the bed-frame. When the bed is to be used,having been drawn to horizontal position and automatically locked, thecord 48 is unlaced from one-end and the rods are slid to the respectivesides of the bed, dropping into the vertical portions 45 of the grooves.The netting ICC hangs along the sides or may be tucked down between thebedding and the side-boards. When the bed is to be returned to verticall position the rods are drawn up from the sides over the bedding andthecord 48 laced through the hooks 47. The bed may then be raised invertical position and the bedding will be held securely in place. If therods are small and light, the grooves may be made in shape of T-groovesand heads formed on the rods to prevent them slipping out.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newtherein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. The combination, with a base frame and a bed-frame pivoted therein;of the counterbalance levers, the counterbalance springs secured to thepivot ends of the levers, and actuated by the levers, and connectionsbetween the outer free ends of the levers, the base frame, and the innerend of the bedframe; substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a base frame and a bed-frame pivoted therein;of the counterbalance levers pivoted at the head of the bedframe, thecounterbalance springs secured to the pivoted ends of the levers andactuated by the levers, the front pulleys, the intermediate pulleys, thelower pulleys and connections between the outer free ends of the leversand the inner end of the bed frame passing around the front pulleys,over the intermediate pulleys and under the lower pulleys; substantiallyas described.

3. The combination, with a base frame and a bed frame pivoted therein.;of the counterbalance levers pivoted at the head of the bedframe, thecounterbalance springs secured to the pivot ends of the levers andactuated by the levers, the front pulleys, the intermediate pulleys, thelower pulleys the rear pulleys, the head pulleys, and a connectionbetween the outer free ends of the levers and the inner end of thebed-frame passing around the front pulleys, over the intermediatepulleys, under the lower pulleys, under the rear pulleys and over thehead pulleys; substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a base frame and a bed-frame pivoted therein;of the sliding extension 24, the pulley 29 at the front of the baseframe, the pulley 30 at the back of the base frame, the cord 27connected to the inner edge of the extension, passing over the frontpulley and connected to the inner end of the bed-frame, and the cord 28connected to the inner edge of the extension, passing over the backpulley and connected to the inner end of the bed-frame at a point inadvance of the other cord; substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a base frame and a bed-framepivoted therein; ofthe guides 25 in the base-frame, the extension 24 sliding between theguides having rollers 33, the pulley 29 located at the outer end of theguide, thev pulley 30 located at the inner end of the guide, the cord 27connected to the inner edge of the extension, passing over the outerpulley and connected to the inner end of the bedframe, and the cord 28connected to the inner edge of the extension, passing over the innerpulley and connected to the inner end of the bed-frame at a point inadvanceof the other cord; substantially as described.

6. The combination of the base-frame having a bolt hole 36, a bed-frame,pivoted in the base-frame, having a bolt hole 36, the automatic lockingbolt 35, the spring 37 secured to the bed-frame and carrying the bolt,the bearings 39 secured to the bed-trarne, and the rod 38 mounted in thebearings having an angular extension engaging the spring and apressureplate 4l substantially as described.

7. The combination of the pivoted bedframe having its head-board and itsfootboard provided with horizontal and vertical grooves, the net-worksecured to the sideboards, the rods secured to the nett-ing and slidingin the grooves, and lacing by which the rods are secured together;substantially as described.

G. lV. SHIPMAN.

Vitnesses:

EMILY R. SHiPMAN, EDWARD S. KNIGHT.

